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But at last, "What's that?" exclaimed the man; for now a different tone resounded in the cataract, a louder, angrier note, as though the plunge of waters at the bottoe, ain

Below there so he could see--or thought that he could see--a green, di drive of waters that now vanished in the whirling rew hidden

Out to the edge of the rocky shelf he crept onceplunge of the waters as they roared into the foam-lashed flood below

But how could this be? Stern's wonder sought to grasp analysis of the strange pheno," thought he, "then there must either be some kind of tide in that body of water or else the cavity itselfup In either case, what if the process continues?"

And instantly a new fear smote him--a fear wherein lay buried like a fly in amber a hope for life, the only hope that had yet co there in that trap sealed round by sluicing er, then with a fresh resolve, desperate yet joyful in its strength, once irl

"Beta," said he, "how brave are you?"

"How brave? Why, dear?"

He paused a moment, then replied: "Because, if what I believe is true, in a few ht for life--a harder fight than any we've ht that may last for hours and may, after all, end only in death A battle royal! Are you strong for it? Are you brave?"

"Try me!" she answered, and their eyes ht of life or death, of loss or gain, defeat or victory, this woman was to be his mate and equal to the end

"Listen, then!" he commanded "This is our last, our only chance And if it fails--"